It happens every year. The grateful calm of Thanksgiving gives way to Black Friday retail frenzy. Then low and behold, the holiday party and gifting season is here. Whether or not you are an advance planner, Atlanta restaurants are ready to help out with warm and friendly seasonal settings, large and small spreads, private dining options and generous gift card promotions.
In Virginia Highland, lively
Atkins Park Tavern has historical charm -- and a room upstairs ready to host 30 guests for a sit-down dinner or 50 guests for cocktails. To reserve, call 404-876-7249.
Fabulous global cuisine, personalized menus and lots of space are yours in Roswell at
Aqua blue. A semi-private back room accommodates 60 guests, and up to 200 guests can party in the main bar. Available for bookings seven days a week for lunch and dinner; call 770-643-8886.
Marietta’s
Chicken and the Egg serves up modern farmstead fare and can throw a Southern dinner party with ease. Host an intimate chef’s table for up to 28 guests in a separate corner of the restaurant -- guests will love the chef’s table menu of Chicken and the Egg specialties. Contact Elizabeth Taft at 678-388-8813.
Across Midtown and into Vinings,
Fifth Group Restaurants gives a wide variety of options for private and group dining. At 7th and Cypress streets in the heart of Midtown,
Ecco offers seasonal, European-inspired dining seven nights a week. For an evening of contemporary Southern fare, book
South City Kitchen Vinings. More Fifth Group possibilities include
South City Kitchen Midtown,
La Tavola Trattoria and
The Original El Taco.
Bold American and Studio 887 offer off- and on-premise upscale catering for other event options. For group party planning assistance, call 678-302-3264. For more information, visit the company’s private dining
page.
In Dunwoody, special occasions call for
Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar. Book your party by Thursday, December 1 and receive a $50 gift card for every $500 you spend. Thrifty gifters, receive a $20 bonus card for every $100 gift card purchased from now until December 31 (bonus card valid on food and beverage only, January 1 through February 10). Call 770-698-8112.
The Westside party “junction” is
JCT. Kitchen & Bar at Howell Mill and Huff roads in Atlanta’s Westside Urban Market. Up to 200 guests can celebrate on its 2,000-square-foot skyline terrace that looks out over the historic neighborhood; up to 165 people can dine downstairs in the main dining room. Discuss private event options with Valerie Mosley, 678-536-6506.
Don’t overlook your lunch spot when looking for a dinner party venue.
Market Street Café in Buckhead can seat up to 125 people for dinner inside and 75 guests on the patio. Need more? Rent the whole place after 4 p.m. weekdays and anytime on weekends. For private event information, contact Sabrina Rosenberg or Lauren Hradek at 770-643-5990.
Reindeer games in West Midtown’s White Provision complex? Not quite, but
Ormsby’s lounge space with its comfy couches, cocktail tables and game room access is ideal for up to 40 grownups. Better snatch it up by calling Leslie Battle at 404-968-2033.
Wildly fun
RA Sushi in Midtown can seat up to 10 guests in its semi-private dining space and host up to 100 guests in its upstairs area. Call 404-267-0114.
From downtown to the Chattahoochee to Alpharetta,
Ray’s Restaurants provides three unique party settings and a variety of menu options.
Ray’s on the River (770-955-1187) can accommodate parties of up to 200 guests.
Ray’s at Killer Creek in Alpharetta (770-649-0064) has several different room options and accommodates parties of up to 300 people. For intimate gatherings in town, look into private and semi-private spaces for up to 45 people at
Ray’s in the City (404-524-9224).
The
Renaissance Atlanta Midtown Hotel epitomizes Atlanta with its modern design and Southern hospitality. Host guest lists from 30 to 400 in the hotel’s three ballrooms. Up to 300 guests can sip cocktails and admire the skyline view at
Rooftop 866, the chic rooftop bar adjacent to the hotel.
Briza, the hotel’s signature restaurant, also can be reserved for private events seating up to 110 guests or 200 for cocktails and hors d’oeuvre. Call 678-412-2400.
Here’s a smashing gift idea! At
Smashburger, receive $5 Smashbucks for every $25 gift card purchased through December 31. Smashbucks expire on January 31. There are three metro-Atlanta locations with a fourth opening in Kennesaw on November 30.
Go for a glamorous midday or evening event at the W Atlanta-Midtown Hotel’s
Spice Market restaurant. Spice Market’s Pond Room, Trellis Room and main dining room are three options, and the entire restaurant space accommodates up to 200 for a seated dinner and 350 for cocktails and hors d’oeuvre. For private event information, contact Cristina Perry at 404-724-2550.
Atlanta’s trend-setting farm-to-table restaurant,
Woodfire Grill, houses multiple private dining spaces from "The Mezzanine," seating 50 or divisible into three private rooms; “The Loft," a cozy upstairs hideaway for up to 16 people; and a covered patio where up to 75 guests can gather for cocktails or 30 can sit down for dinner. Call Rick Blumberg at 404-347-9055 for more information.
With the mustachioed month of Movember over, it’s time to show off Atlanta’s finest beards. Make sure to use your beard bars to look your bearded best, and head on over to the first ever Battle of the Beards! On Saturday, December 3, Woodfire Grill's Kevin Gillespie and his fiery red beard will be one of the celebrity judges plucking winners from the chin-coiffed pack. Open to ages 21 and older, the party at the Highland Inn Ballroom will have events the hirsute and not-so-hairy will enjoy including festival merchandise, local artist vendors, live music, stand-up comedy, food trucks and a full bar. Be on the lookout for "Best Beard," "Best Stache," "Best Partial Beard," "Most Creative," "Best Grooming" and "Overall Champion." For ladies who want to join in on the fun, we’ve got you covered. Get creative and enter the “BEST LADY BEARD" category! A portion of the proceeds from the 7 - 10 p.m. event will go to Mustaches for Kids' fundraising efforts for CURE Childhood Cancer. For tickets, visit battleofthebeards.net.
Next Tuesday, December 6, Fifth Group Restaurants' latest dining establishment will arrive at 191 Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta. The long-awaited Alma Cocina ("alma" means soul in Spanish) came about after a lot of research, discussion and travels helmed by Fifth Group Restaurant Partners Robby Kukler, Steve Simon and Kris Reinhard. While contemporary Mexican cuisine is at the heart of Alma's menu, Latin American flavors infuse the restaurant's spirit. Alma's Executive Chef Chad Clevenger has created dishes such as guacamole with butternut squash, chipotle and queso fresco; smoked pork ribs with tamarind BBQ sauce; green chorizo tostadas; taquitos stuffed with crispy cod; red snapper mole Amarillo with Swiss chard (pictured above); braised goat huaraches; and Mexican Coca-Cola panna cotta. The restaurant will be open for both lunch and dinner, and gluten-free and kids' menus are available upon request, so mark your calendars! Work in downtown Atlanta and need a new space for your company's holiday party? Alma has you covered in that department, too. In addition to the main dining room seating for 200 guests, the restaurant also provides two bar areas with booths and communal tables. Autumn Woods can help arrange group or private dining and can be reached at 678-302-3264. For more information, call Alma at 404-968-9662.
You're already gearing up for Black Friday, but have you planned where you're going to refuel to keep the shopping momentum going? Luckily, Truffles Grill is right in the thick of all the retail action (think Lenox Square, Phipps Plaza and all the fabulous Buckhead boutiques) and takes the guesswork out of grabbing a bite. The best part: the restaurant has just released new menu items like seared sesame tuna wonton, ham and brie on a croissant and chile relleno risotto. Or, if you're saving your super shopper skills for the weekend, try out Truffles' newly launched Sunday brunch menu, available from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. The Sunday morning treats ($5 - $16) include homemade sour cream coffee cake; French toast with applewood bacon and brown sugar pecan apples; egg sandwich with applewood bacon and cheese on a croissant served with shoestring fries; huevos rancheros that tops a black bean cake with poached eggs, tasso ham, sautéed spinach and fire-roasted tomato salsa; and a trio of Benedicts -- eggs Benedict, steak Benedict, and Low Country Benedict. Truffles Grill is located at 3345 Lenox Road; 404-364-9050.
It happens every year. The grateful calm of Thanksgiving gives way to Black Friday retail frenzy. Then low and behold, the holiday party and gifting season is here. Whether or not you are an advance planner, Atlanta restaurants are ready to help out with warm and friendly seasonal settings, large and small spreads, private dining options and generous gift card promotions.
Reindeer games in West Midtown’s White Provision complex? Not quite, but Ormsby’s lounge space with its comfy couches, cocktail tables and game room access is ideal for up to 40 grownups. Better snatch it up by calling Leslie Battle at 404-968-2033.
Cooler weather is trending, meaning sweaters and jackets on the outside and a hot and filling new menu from Marlow's Tavern to warm you on the inside. Baked lump crab bread, for starters, sounds extremely enticing with its creamy blend of lump crab, spinach, mozzarella, provolone, chives, citrus aioli and basil oil on toasty ciabatta. Two hands or a fork and knife are required for the "Everything AND the Kitchen Sink" burger. More succulent proteins include the grilled turkey meatloaf and pan-roasted root veggies; grilled center-cut filet; pecan-crusted trout with roasted spaghetti squash; grilled Atlantic salmon; pecan-crusted chicken salad with crumbled gorgonzola, applewood-smoked bacon and a tomato and honey pecan vinaigrette. New starters and mains range from $11 - $19.50. And, Marlow's desserts ($6) do sweetly sustain one. Choose from fried apple pie, classic crème brûlée with a seasonal twist and chocolate banana bread pudding. Packing more heat than an Irish coffee are Marlow's strong wintry mixes of Blue Berry Buck with Hanger One Blue Berry; River Boat Sour incorporating Leopold's Sour Apple Whiskey; Boulevardier with Wathen's Kentucky Bourbon Single Barrel, Aperol liquor and Cocchi Vermouth; and a Tupelo Honey martini that hints of Deep South sunsets. There are eight Marlow's Taverns to choose from; find the location near you online.
On Wednesday, November 30, the fourth Atlanta-area location of Smashburger will arrive in Kennesaw at 440 Ernest W. Barrett Parkway, giving Cobb County residents and visitors a chance to sink their teeth into the restaurant's "better burger." Smashburger's signature method of "smashing" burgers on a flat grill to sear in the juicy flavor is one we've come to know and love. Their 100 percent Certified Angus Beef Atlanta Smashburger and Atlanta Smashdog -- both topped with Wicked Pimena cheese and Vidalia coleslaw -- are sure to be smash hits in Kennesaw, too. Local beer, wine, hand-spun Häagen-Dazs shakes and IBC® root beer floats in frosted mugs complete the dining experience. 
